When do I actually dial 1?

[mmd]

I'm curious, when am I supposed to actually dial 1 before the number?  I was going through my cell phones address book (which is actually a live sync to my Google Contacts) and noticed I had put a 1 before a couple numbers, but took them out and now wonder, was the 1 actually supposed to be there?

[Dan]

As far as I know, you are supposed to use 1, area code, and # on a landline phone for long distance, but drop the 1 for cell phone calls. Any others wanna chime in on this?

[Adam]

I believe in some areas of the US a land line must dial a 1 before a long distance number, and some areas don't.  It is not optional, if you're in an area where land lines require 1 before a long distance number, you must dial it, and vice versa.

However, I believe that everywhere in the US, on cell phones, dialing 1 before a long distance number is optional, you can dial long distance numbers either with or without a 1 before the number and it works either way.

[LarryInMichigan]

In at least some large metro area in the USA, a '1'+area code must be dialed for ALL calls.  Here in metro Detroit, all calls require an area code, but for numbers in the local CO or a neighboring one, the '1' is optional.  For all other calls, it is required.

Larry

[mmd]

im surprised, why hasnt the need for the 1 been dropped?

so because of this, is there some way to easily determine which of my numbers require a 1?

[Doug Rose]

In at least some large metro area in the USA, a '1'+area code must be dialed for ALL calls.  Here in metro Detroit, all calls require an area code, but for numbers in the local CO or a neighboring one, the '1' is optional.  For all other calls, it is required.

Larry

Larry...that's what I do, I dial 1 on all calls. I am in Boston....Doug

[Dennis Markham]

Larry, where I am, which as you know is considered Metro Detroit, I do not have to dial anything but the 7 digit local number for "local" calls.  If I stray too far from the local CO I have to dial one, but do not have to dial my same Area Code.  But a call next door, or down the street, or five miles away, just 7 digits.

[Phonesrfun]

In many cities that have overlay area codes, dialing within the local area where it would not be a toll call is just 10 digit dialing, with no 1 at the front.  If you are not within an overlay area code, just 7 digits, of course.   Where you are dialing a toll call from a legacy telco land line the 1 is almost always required, even if within the same area code.  Some cities do require the 1 in overlay area codes even for local calls, as I understand from the chatter on the TCI and ATCA list serves, where the topic has come up so many times, I cannot even count.

Cell phone companies and many VoIP services such as cable-bundled internet phones, magic jack, and Vonage, are not as subject to the rules of the various state Public Utilities Commissions, so they can do what ever they want, and most have opted to drop the requirement for a 1 in front of a toll call, probably out of convenience to the user, and the fact that most plans call for "free" (ha) long distance, so we don't need a 1 in front of the number to remind us that we are about to dial a toll call.

With LD rates so low these days, the required 1 is kind of an issue for confusion in my opinion.  There are others that staunchly support the idea of using the number 1 in front to remind them of the LD aspect, and are probably just used to the idea.

[LarryInMichigan]

Larry, where I am, which as you know is considered Metro Detroit, I do not have to dial anything but the 7 digit local number for "local" calls.  If I stray too far from the local CO I have to dial one, but do not have to dial my same Area Code.  But a call next door, or down the street, or five miles away, just 7 digits.

Dennis,

I am surprised that you do not need to dial the area code.  Here, we always need the area code, and I thought that the same was the case in Sterling Heights, but perhaps I was wrong.  At any rate, for me to call next door requires at least 10 digits.

Larry

[Phonesrfun]

Larry:

They usually have the 10 digit requirement where there are overlay area codes.  Are you in such an area?  All of the state of Washington, where I am is on 7 digit dialing, because there are no overlays.  Seattle has about 3 area codes in the area, but they are all have individual geographic boundaries.

Oregon, to the south has three area codes for the entire state.  Portland, however has two area codes and they decided to overlay 971 right on top of the existing 503, having the same geographic boundaries.  Since there are duplicative prefixes within each of the area codes, the only way to tell the equipment who you are calling is to have to dial all 10 numbers.  Most people hate it.

[Bill]

We discussed this a while ago in
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=308.0
I expressed my frustration with the "dial or don't dial a 1" question in post number 9. The switching system always know whether it wants a "1" or not, and it always knows if I have dialed a "1" or not. If I have done it wrong, and it knows I did it wrong, then it should be able to correct my error automatically. Instead, it bitches at me about the error, and makes me redial from scratch.

I think that is dumb, especially since the answer to the "dial or don't dial a 1" question appears (from the user's point of view) to be random.

From the switching equipment point of view, it appears that the presence of an overlay, as Bill Guerts mentioned, has something to do with it. But I don't think that is an excuse for inconveniencing the ratepayer (that's you and me!)

Just my opinion.

Bill

[LarryInMichigan]

I believe that here in Oakland County, there in an overlay (AC 248 and 947).

Larry

[Dan/Panther]

Doesn't the one simply route the call through s separate set of circuits that denote out of area calls, and some services have incorporated all of them together, (Cell phones for example )  and this would eliminate the need tor dialing the one in some areas ?
D/P

[Phonesrfun]

Doesn't the one simply route the call through s separate set of circuits that denote out of area calls, and some services have incorporated all of them together, (Cell phones for example )  and this would eliminate the need tor dialing the one in some areas ?
D/P

I don't think so, but that's just me.  In the days of step-by-step switching, the call was switched as you dial, and that would have been the case back then.

Now, no matter what system you are on, be it a central office, or cell, or VoIP, the number you dial is accumulated in a register, and then the computer takes over and out she goes over the best route.  Programatically, the telcos computers should be just as smart as the cell phone computers.  I believe it is a matter of local PUC and telco policies more than anything else.  I may be wrong.  It is confusing.

Mark Cuccia is an avid poster on the TCI listserve about the NANP and the various reasons for things being the way they are.  From reading his many (and lengthy) posts, I am still confused too.

So, maybe we will never know for sure

[stopthemachine]

I live in South Jersey, about 15 minutes (tops) to NE Philly.  Philadelphians have to dial the area code and number for ALL calls, even within their own 215 area code, but also because 267 is the area code now given to almost all cell phones in the Philly and Bucks County areas (not sure if it's all of Bucks, but definitely Lower Bucks).

I, however, (and as far as I know, all that live in the 609 area code) do NOT have to dial an area code as long as the number uses the 609 area code.  Even though Delran, NJ, is just 12 minutes from me, it uses 856 so an area code is necessary, but if I were to dial Long Beach Island (about an hour from me), I wouldn't have to because of the interesting way the 609 vs. 856 was set up about a decade ago.  (It's kind of hard to explain, but have a look-see on an area code map.)